Google map unveils “Okada” navigation for select Nigerian cities

Google, on Wednesday announced the launch of new products and features to make life better for Nigerians digitally.

Among the products was the launch of a two-wheeler (Motorbike) aka Okada, direction mode on the Google map.

Also, Google map has, for the first-time, introduced the Nigerian accent to give driving directions, making it the first African country to add their language to the map.

A street view mode for the Google map has been added to Abuja, Enugu, Benin city and Ibadan, the tech giant said.

On the light-weight app, Google Go, features like Lens, Discover and Google assistant have been added. The lens feature allows the users interact with Google using cameras.

It is an image recognition technology that helps to identify the object or read barcodes, QR codes, labels and text and show relevant search results and information. Google officially launched Google Lens on October 4, 2017 and added the feature to the Google Go app.

Google Go users can now access Google Lens, point it at a sign, and listen to the words read out loud. If they don’t speak the language, they can translate it into their own. Today, Google is also launching support for Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

Google Go is aimed at enabling users of low RAM mobile phones get the best experience on Google. The app was launched in 2018 and designed to work offline optimally.

Another new product, Gallery Go has been added to help organise the users’ gallery by grouping photos into categories like nature, food, animals, screenshots, documents, people and selfies.

The app could also be used by people without reliable internet connection. Gallery Go brings many of the best features of Google Photos on device to help them find, edit and manage their photos even when they are offline.

The app is only 10MB to keep the phone light and fast, so that you can spend more time capturing memories.